A wide variety of belt clips are known. The primary purpose, of course, of a belt clip is to allow a user to attach an object to the user's belt. "Belt," as used herein, may mean the conventional belt that is used in conjunction with belt loops on a user's pants, and is primarily intended to hold the pants about the user's waist, or it may refer to a utility belt or harness which is worn for the sole purpose of carrying a number of objects.
In it's most basic form a belt clip may include a folded metallic spring with an object attached to one fold thereof, wherein the spring simply slips over the users belt. More complex belt clips may include a locking mechanism.
A significant problem with many known belt clips is that the belt clip fails to maintain the carried object in a specific orientation. In the case of military or law enforcement personnel, the carried object may include a holster for a firearm, a sheath for a knife, handcuffs, chemical deterrence, flashlights, etc. Such objects must be readily available to the user who will frequently reach for the object in an instinctive fashion. If the mechanism holding the object to the user's belt has allowed the object to shift position, the user may not be able readily to grasp the object when needed.
A number of prior art clips are known. Herzog, U.S. Pat. No. 267,526, Nov. 14, 1882, discloses a slide for chain bracelets and other chains which provides a fastening mechanism for a chain bracelet and which maintains orientation relative to the bracelet by being specifically sized to the bracelet.
Rankin, U.S. Pat. No. 1,578,468, Mar. 30, 1926, discloses a belt buckle which incorporates a matchbox therein, and which is moveable along the length of a belt. Again, orientation relative to the belt is maintained by sizing a clip for the belt buckle to the specific width of the belt.
Tschirf, U.S. Pat. No. 2,551,515, May 1, 1951, discloses a device designed to hold a watch on a belt. A conventional wristwatch is held on the device by means of pins which are forced apart by a spring. This is the same type of mechanism that is used to secure a watchband to a watch. The device clamps over the wearer's belt and is held in place by means of a clamping lever. There is no specific mechanism to maintain orientation of the holding device relative to the belt.
Meyerson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,818,548, Jun. 25, 1974, discloses a belt buckle, which may also be used to secure an object to a belt, and which clamps to a belt, thereby maintaining orientation relative to the belt.
Foster, U.S. Pat. No. 3,927,442, Dec. 23, 1975, discloses a belt buckle which is designed to carry credit cards therein. The belt buckle features a hinged structure, which forms a compartment in the buckle. Woodbury, U.S. Pat. No. 4,113,157, Sep. 12, 1978, discloses a buckle having receptacles therein for coins, keys and other objects. The buckle is intended to be placed between the ends of a belt web, and thus maintains its position relative to the web of the belt.
Perry, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,326,280, Apr. 20, 1982, discloses a watch mounting device which is used to hold a watch on a belt and which incorporates a spring loaded cover and a fastening mechanism for the watch. The device is held on the belt by means of conventional belt loops and, if placed on a belt that is substantially narrower than the belt loops, will not maintain orientation on the belt web.
Dudek, U.S. Pat. No. 4,387,489, Jun. 14, 1983 discloses a medical device which provides a lock for a ligature loop. The clasp includes two portions which are hinged to one another and which include a locking mechanism to hold the two portions together in a closed condition.